Signs of Spring ...

... Bugs!

I had just finished mulching the Triangle Garden (more to come on this) when I looked over the fish pond. I'd seen insects massing over it before, but nothing like this.

This was a tower of bugs, thirty to forty feet high.

I've never seen a swarm quite like this.

Click here to see them in action.

Where's some bats or swallows when you need them?

Squirrel versus Wind Chime

With the new normal being that we are staying home, one recent morning I awoke before Patty, so I went to the living room to enjoy a cup of coffee and the sunrise. Nice not to have a commute.

As I was lying there on the couch I noticed the wind chime, a gift from Patty a few years back.

Then I realized there was no wind.

An  Eastern Gray Squirrel was attacking the chimes, rather odd.

By the time I realized what was going on and had went and grabbed a camera, the critter had knocked one of the tubes to the ground.

And it continued to attack it.

There was nothing in or on the tube that I could see. I checked when I retrieved it. And none of the other squirrels, and we've plenty about, showed any interest in the tube nor the chime.

And there have been not further attacks.

Very odd.

Love is in the Air ...

... Or maybe just the scent of decaying deer flesh.

Something has these Margined Carrion Beetles (Oiceoptoma noveboracense) all worked up.

This is a new species of Carrion Beetle for the yard, American Carrion Beetle and Ridged Carrion Beetle* the other two.

And it looks like they'll be plenty more around.

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.

🐞  🐞  🐞  🐞  🐞

* Although if you look at the images in the Ridged Carrion Beetle Yard Critter post, you'll see that I've mis-identified O. noveboracense as American Carrion Beetle. O. noveboracense has the orange coloring, while the American Carrion Beetle has yellow.

Simple Things That Amuse Me

Coffee cup tornados.

Although the physics are perhaps not so simple methinks.

Not quite as impressive as these: three cup images.

I'll keep watching ...

Woody

Told ya.

Spotted this one out my office window. One of the benefits of working from home.

Still haven't see one at the feeder though.

Social Distancing ...

... In the age of the internet.

Virtual St. Paddy's Day happy hour with my department.

Be happy. And be well.

Signs of Spring ...

Hamster's back.

See!

Wondering what goes on there when we're not looking, I set the trail cam up overlooking the back pond (it's mostly wind blown plants, that's what).

I've set the focus on the turtle in this edit. Upper right. While it has been warm of late, in the 70's °F this past week, I was surprised to see Hamster up and about. Although to be honest, I don't know all that much about the normal emergence time of Eastern Painted Turtles. If only there was some way to look it up. Oh well.

After downloading and reviewing the images this morning, I took the memory card back out and re-installed it in the camera. (It was breezy today, so you know what I've got to look forward to.) And there was our hero, sunning on a bit of inflated pond liner.

Cool.

🐢  🐢  🐢  🐢  🐢

This page, from NJ Department of Fish and Wildlife, states Eastern Painted Turtles are active from April through September, in which case this one is a couple of weeks early.  This one, from the Virginia Herpetological Society, says that a bit further south they're active from March through October, beginning with warm days in March. So I guess the mild winter did play a part.